Durban - Support staff were expected to resume their duties today at the Durban Magistrate’s Court after a go-slow yesterday following several Covid-19 cases at the building.
It is believed that the go-slow came after management identified areas where two staff members had tested positive.
The areas were deep cleaned, but some staff want the entire building disinfected.
National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union branch chairperson Siyezwana Mzimela said they would be back at work today following the disinfection of the building. He said there were two key issues that led to the protest.
“The first is the issue of disinfecting the building. Before today, there had been about seven people who tested positive, and there have been four sections of the building closed. Two more people have tested positive as of today, which means those sections have to close,” he said.
Mzimela said staff also wanted a rotational system for reporting to duty with a 14-day interval between teams.
“An order number was obtained and it was agreed that we would go home and the service provider would arrive to disinfect the building.
“We agreed to return tomorrow (today) and the rotational system was also agreed upon,” said Mzimela.
Magistrates and prosecutors began remanding cases and the accused were handed their next court dates on a piece of paper.
An attorney who declined to be named, said he empathised with the staff, but the reality was that every institution was affected by Covid-19.
The Justice and Constitutional Development Department confirmed a positive case of Covid-19 was reported at the court.
Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said, however, that the building was not closed.
“Only a portion of the building was closed while awaiting disinfection,” he said.
Last week, the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court was closed due to three positive cases.
Phiri said decontamination was done and it reopened on Monday.